About
The International IPS AI Guidance Initiative™ provides practical, evidence-based guidance for organisations navigating the adoption of Artificial Intelligence within Integrated Product Support environments.
Why This Framework Exists
A personal note from the creator
Over the past few years I have watched the conversation around Artificial Intelligence accelerate rapidly across engineering, logistics, and support environments. Everywhere I go, organisations are asking the same questions: What does AI mean for us? Where do we start? How do we govern it? Can we trust it?
At the same time, I see two very different reactions emerging.
On one side there is enormous excitement around the potential of AI. On the other side there is uncertainty, confusion, and in some cases a rush to experiment with technologies without fully understanding the implications for governance, engineering authority, data integrity, and operational trust.
Integrated Product Support sits right in the middle of this conversation. IPS environments depend on trusted information, disciplined processes, and clear accountability across the lifecycle of complex systems. Introducing Artificial Intelligence into these environments is not simply a technical decision — it is a strategic, engineering, and governance challenge.
This is why the International IPS AI Guidance Framework was created.
Not as another specification.
Not as a commercial product.
And certainly not as an attempt to replace the many engineering frameworks that already exist.
Instead, the goal is much simpler: to create a space where the IPS community can think carefully about how Artificial Intelligence should be adopted, implemented, and governed within real support environments.
Specifications, standards, and tools will continue to play their role. They always have. But they are only part of the picture. AI introduces wider questions about data strategy, verification, trust, accountability, and lifecycle governance that extend beyond any single specification.
My hope is that this initiative helps encourage thoughtful discussion, shared learning, and practical collaboration across the IPS community.
Artificial Intelligence will undoubtedly shape the future of product support. The important question is not whether it will be used, but how responsibly we choose to introduce it.
— Mike Ingledew
Through Life Data Engineer
The Purpose of the Initiative
The International IPS AI Guidance Initiative™ has been established to support practical collaboration on the responsible adoption, implementation, and governance of Artificial Intelligence within Integrated Product Support (IPS) environments.
As AI technologies begin to influence engineering, maintenance, logistics, and support operations, organisations are increasingly exploring how these capabilities can enhance lifecycle decision-making, improve knowledge accessibility, and strengthen operational support.
However, the introduction of AI into complex support programmes also raises important questions around governance, safety, data integrity, accountability, and operational trust. Addressing these questions requires a structured approach that brings together experience from across engineering, digital, programme management, and assurance communities.
This initiative aims to provide a neutral platform for that collaboration.
Our Approach
We believe AI guidance should be accessible, actionable, and grounded in both technical understanding and organisational reality. Our resources are designed for practitioners, not just theorists.
Vendor-Neutral and Industry-Focused
This initiative is intentionally vendor-neutral. It does not promote specific technologies, software platforms, or commercial solutions.
Instead, the focus is on developing practical guidance that organisations can use to shape policy, governance models, implementation strategies, and assurance approaches when introducing Artificial Intelligence into Integrated Product Support environments.
The guidance is intended to complement existing engineering, logistics, and product support frameworks by helping organisations understand how AI capabilities can be introduced responsibly within those environments.
Specification and Framework Neutrality
The International IPS AI Guidance Initiative™ is also specification-neutral. It does not replace, compete with, or attempt to redefine established Integrated Product Support specifications or standards.
Frameworks and specifications such as S1000D, S2000M, S3000L, SX000i, and other lifecycle engineering standards already provide important structures for managing product support information, logistics data, and support engineering processes.
The purpose of this initiative is to complement those environments by exploring how Artificial Intelligence may interact with them, influence decision-making, and introduce new governance considerations.
In practice, organisations will continue to use established IPS specifications and engineering frameworks. The guidance developed through this initiative aims to help organisations understand how AI capabilities can be responsibly adopted within those existing structures.
This approach allows the initiative to remain neutral while supporting practical discussion across organisations that may operate within different specification environments or programme frameworks.
Supporting the IPS Community
The initiative is intended to support a wide range of stakeholders involved in the planning, delivery, and governance of Integrated Product Support.
This includes programme leaders, engineers, maintainers, support analysts, digital teams, AI specialists, and governance authorities working across defence, aerospace, transportation, energy, and other complex engineering sectors.
By encouraging shared discussion and collaborative learning, the initiative aims to help organisations move from isolated experimentation with AI towards more structured, accountable, and sustainable adoption.
A Living Guidance Framework
The guidance developed through this initiative is expected to evolve over time.
As organisations gain experience implementing Artificial Intelligence within support environments, new insights, risks, opportunities, and governance questions will continue to emerge.
This initiative therefore aims to provide a living framework that can grow and adapt as both AI technology and Integrated Product Support practices continue to evolve.
An Open Invitation
Professionals and organisations interested in the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence within Integrated Product Support are encouraged to engage with the initiative.
Through shared insight, practical discussion, and collaboration across sectors, the guidance can remain grounded in real operational experience while helping shape the future role of AI in product support.